Managing multiple private data networks using network and payload address translation

Abstract

A network system receives incoming packets from multiple private networks with potentially conflicting Internet Protocol (IP) address spaces, and performs header and payload address translation operations to ensure that the IP address spaces of the incoming packets are made non-conflicting, such that the packets can be managed using a single network management platform. A router in the system receives the packets and performs Network Address Translation (NAT) on IP header information. Packets identified as being associated with a particular protocol, e.g., a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), are redirected by the router to a Management Payload Address Translator (MPAT) that applies a fast parsing process to the packet payloads to identify IP address-related information therein, and if necessary applies an appropriate translation of the identified information before routing the packets to a network management platform. The fast parsing process is an efficient object-based process which avoids the need to parse the entire packet payload.